Las Vegas Golf Timeline
1927
First golf course in Las Vegas is built in the vicinity of what is the Las Vegas Hilton today; it no longer exists.
1938
Las Vegas Golf Club opens, designed by William F. Bell
1952
Desert Inn Country Club opens, designed by Lawrence Hughes. This prestigious course will flourish until 2004 when Steve Wynn buys the course and the hotel and creates a new course designed by Tom Fazio. Over the years, presidents, celebrities and other dignitaries played the course, and multiple PGA Tour, LPGA Tour and Senior PGA Tour events were played over the DI’s 18 holes, with such champions as Nancy Lopez, Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, and many more.
1953
Al Besselink wins the PGA Tour’s inaugural Tournament of Champions. Besselink’s four-round total of 8-under-par 280 is good enough for the top prize, $10,000. It is the first of 15 straight years the event was held in Las Vegas. It was held at the Desert Inn from 1953-1966 before moving to the Stardust Country Club in 1967 and 1968. All of the big names were here with the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Johnny Miller, Arnold Palmer and Sam Snead among the winners.
1954
Eddie Draper, 2004 class of Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame, wins Northwest Open
1955
Gene Littler wins the first of three-straight Tournament of Champions titles at the Desert Inn.
1957
Charlie Teel, a member of the Las Vegas Hall of Fame’s Class of 1991, wins the first of two Nevada State Amateur titles.
Black Mountain Golf & Country Club opens, designed by Bob Baldock.
1958
Valley View Golf Association created. This predominantly African-American golf association still thrives 50 years later and Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame inducted Louis Redden is a member.
1959
Dunes Golf Course opens.
Paradise Valley Country Club opens and was created by legendary newspaper publisher Hank Greenspun. Over the years, this course has been named Showboat Country Club, Los Verdes, Indian Wells, and Royal Kenfield, and through 2009 is called Wildhorse Golf Club. This course was also once owned by Howard Hughes, and was a past host to the PGA Tour.
1960
Bob Hope joins in the festivities of the PGA Tour’s Tournament of Champions.
Stardust Country Club (later the Sahara Country Club, Sahara National, etc. and as of 2009 Las Vegas National) opens, designed by Bert Stamps. The course is used in the hit movie Casino as a plane lands on the 18th fairway during filming.
1961
Mickey Wright wins the LPGA Championship held at the Stardust. She wins $2,500 of the $15,000 purse. It is one of her 10 wins on the season and is the first of five-straight years that the LPGA Championship, a major tournament, is held at the Stardust. She also won the tournament in 1963 and finished her career with 82 victories.
Tropicana Golf and Country Club opens.
1962
Arnold Palmer claims the Tournament of Champions crown, one of three he would win in Las Vegas.
Eddie Draper, Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame Class of 2004, wins the first of two Black Mountain Professional Open titles.
Las Vegas golf course openings
Craig Ranch Golf Club, designed by JC Stimson.
Sunrise Vista Golf Course opens, designed by Ted Robinson, Sr.
1963
Jack Nicklaus is the Tournament of Champions winner and would go on to win the event again in 1964.
1964
Winterwood golf course opens, designed by Dick Wilson and Joe Lee. Currently called Desert Rose Golf Club.
1967
Las Vegas International Country Club opens, designed by Edmond Ault. Currently Las Vegas Country Club. The course was built on the land that was once Las Vegas Downs racetrack.
Frank Beard wins the Tournament of Champions.
1968
Chi Chi Rodriguez wins PGA Tour’s Sahara Invitational.
Jerry Belt, Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame Class of 1991, wins Rocky Mountain PGA of America Sectional Championship.
Future Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame Inductee Jim Colbert (2002) wins the PGA Tour’s Monsanto Open Invitational.
1970
Louis Prima’s Fairway to the Stars opens, designed by the legendary musician himself. Legend has it that this course, that closed in the seventies, was measured by Prima and his drummer. Jimmy Vincent, measured the course, also known as Warm Springs Country Club, with rope.
1971
Lee Trevino wins PGA Tour’s Sahara Invitational.
Future Las Vegas resident Bud Allin wins the PGA Tour’s Greater Greensboro Open.
North Las Vegas Par-3 Golf Course opens, designed by Jack Walpole.
1972
Lanny Wadkins out duels Arnold Palmer to win the Sahara Invitational, a just a few years removed from attending Wake Forest on the Arnold Palmer Scholarship.
Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame inductee Class of 2004 Helen C. Cannon wins Women’s Nevada State Amateur Championship.
1973
Louis Redden, a 2008 inductee to the Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame, starts his run of three straight Las Vegas City Amateur championships.
Boulder City Golf Course opens, designed by Billy Casper and David Rainville.
1975
With amateur status back, Eddie Draper, Class of 2004, wins both the Clark County Amateur and Southern Nevada Amateur.
1976
Helen C. Cannon Middle School is named for 2004 Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame inductee Helen Cannon.
1977
Tom Storey, Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame class of 2006, wins PGA Tour’s Oklahoma City Open Championship.
1979
The Southern Nevada Junior Golf Association is created.
1981
Eric Dutt, elected to the Las Vegas Hall of Fame in 2008, helps Purdue win the Big Ten Conference Championship.
1982
Dick Huff, Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame class of 2004, serves as the instructor for Robert Gamez, Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame class of 2002.
The Las Vegas Founders are formed and their hard work pays off when they, led by 2002 Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame inductee Jim Colbert and 1998 inductee James Cashman, Jr., bring the PGA Tour back to Las Vegas.
Nancy Lopez wins the first of two-straight J&B Scotch Pro-Am tournament titles. The event is affectionately called the Nancy Lopez J&B Scotch Pro-Am.
1983
Fuzzy Zoeller wins the inaugural Panasonic Las Vegas Pro-Celebrity Classic with a five-round total of 340 and beating Rex Caldwell by four strokes. Zoeller opened the tournament with a 9-under-par 63 at the Showboat Country Club (currently Wildhorse). The event immediately becomes “Golf’s Richest Tournament” with the first-ever purse of more than $1 million for a full-field PGA Tour event, just about double the largest purse at the time.
Jerry Belt, Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame Class of 1991, wins Southern Nevada PGA of America Chapter Championship and qualifies for inaugural Panasonic Las Vegas Pro-Celebrity Classic.
Spanish Trail Country Club opens, designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr. Jerry Roberts, 2008 inductee, serves as first head professional and director.
1985
Dunes hotel owner Arthur Shenker wins a $25,000 wager from long-hitter Mike Dunaway, who had bet that in three tries he could land a ball from the roof of the Dunes onto the ninth green of the Emerald Green Dunes Course, some 400 yards away. Two of the three shots ended up on the apron.
Jerry Roberts, Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame member in 2008, earns the first of his back-to-back PGA of America, Las Vegas Chapter, Pro of the Year awards.
Canyon Gate Country Club opens, designed by Ted Robinson, Sr.
1986
Greg Norman posts a five-round total of 333 en route to the title in the Panasonic Las Vegas Invitational. His final round 7-under-par 65 was good enough for a 7-stroke victory over Dan Pohl. Two months later he wins the first of his two British Open titles, and he led each major after 54 holes.
1987
Paul Azinger makes a dramatic eagle on the final hole of the Las Vegas Invitational to win. The 18th hole plays over water to a tough green, and Azinger almost tumbles in during celebration.
Las Vegas golf course openings
Los Prados Golf & Country Club, designed by Jeff Hardin.
Painted Desert Golf Club, designed by Jay Morrish.
1988
UNLV hires Dwaine Knight as head coach. Soon, Steve Wynn will offer the world-ranked Shadow Creek Golf Club as the Rebels’ home course.
Stuart Reid, Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame class of 1991, serves as United States Golf Association rules official at US Open, the first of several.
1989
UNLV Men’s Golf wins first tournament, the New Mexico State Classic.
Las Vegas’ Edward Fryatt wins the first of 5-straight Las Vegas City Amateur titles. He goes on to play at UNLV and on the PGA Tour.
Las Vegas golf course openings
Angel Park Golf Club, designed by Arnold Palmer.
The Legacy Golf Club, designed by Arthur Hills.
Palm Valley Golf Club, designed by Greg Nash and Billy Casper.
Shadow Creek, designed by Tom Fazio. Steve Wynn’s Shadow Creek instantly becomes a worldwide sensation and is termed one of the world’s most exclusive golf courses. Typical play during the early years was one or two foursomes per day, anchored by very high rollers at The Mirage or other Wynn casinos. Or players with names such as Michael Jordan or George H. W. Bush.
1990
UNLV Men’s Golf wins NCAA West Regional, and will also win in 1994, 1997 and 2005.
Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame 2002 inductee Robert Gamez bursts onto the PGA Tour with a bang, winning the first event he entered—the Northern Telecom Tucson Open. And to prove that first victory wasn’t a fluke, he also won the Nestle Invitational that same year, holing a dramatic second shot on the 72nd hole to beat Greg Norman. Gamez also win the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year award.
Sunrise Country Club opens, designed by Jim Brauer and 2002 Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame inductee Jim Colbert
1991
UNLV golfer Warren Schutte wins the NCAA Individual golf title.
The Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame is born. Members of the first class included: Jerry Belt, Clyde Cobb, Stuart Reid and Charlie Teel. At the time it was known as the Nevada Golf Hall of Fame.
Chip Beck becomes the second PGA Tour player in history to shoot 59. He fires the record-round at what was called Sunrise Country Club, then proceeds to hit practice balls at Sahara Country Club without being recognized.
1992
John Cook wins the Las Vegas Invitational and has the honor of receiving the award from his dad, Jim, the tournament manager.
Las Vegas’ Julie Dunn wins the first of 4-straight Nevada State High School Golf championships.
Las Vegas golf course openings
Highland Falls Golf Course, designed by Greg Nash and Billy Casper.
TPC Summerlin, designed by Bobby Weed and Fuzzy Zoeller. TPC Summerlin is created as part of the PGA Tour’s TPC network and becomes the new home course for Las Vegas’ PGA Tour event.
1993
Las Vegas author and noted emcee Jack Sheehan releases the book, Buried Lies, with PGA Tour star Peter Jacobsen. The book hits the New York Times bestseller list.
Las Vegas’ Julie Dunn wins the first of 4-straight Nevada State High School Golf championships.
Davis Love III wins the Las Vegas Invitational.
Dunes Golf and Country Club, since re-named The Mirage Golf Club, closes.
1994
Former UNLV golfer Skip Kendall wins two NIKE Tour events, the NIKE Inland Empire Open and the NIKE Carolina Classic.
1995
Jim Colbert, 2002 Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame inductee, wins first of two Las Vegas Senior PGA Tour events, the Las Vegas Senior Classic.
Jim Colbert wins the Senior PGA Tour’s Energizer Tour Championship, and goes on to be named Senior PGA Tour Player of the Year.
Las Vegas golf course openings
Badlands Golf Club, designed by Johnny Miller and Chi Chi Rodriguez.
Eagle Crest Golf Course, designed by Greg Nash and Billy Casper.
Snow Mountian at the Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort, the first of three Pete Dye-designed courses at the resort.
1996
Here’s Tiger. Tiger Woods burst into the winner’s circle in professional golf in a big way, winning the Las Vegas Invitational by beating Davis Love III in a playoff. Woods was just dipping his toes into the water as a pro when he hit Vegas, only his sixth PGA Tour event of the season. Look through the PGA Tour record book now and his name is as prevalent as Nicklaus, Palmer, Hogan and the rest of the great ones. Woods played via a sponsors exemption from the Las Vegas Founders, who as a group, were inducted into the Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame in 2004.
Brady Exber, a Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame inductee in 2006, wins the first of his 9 (and counting?) Southern Nevada Golf Association Player of the Year awards.
Las Vegas golf course openings
Desert Pines Golf Club, designed by Dye Designs International with Perry Dye.
Desert Willow Golf Course, designed by Greg Nash and Billy Casper.
SouthShore Golf Club, designed by Jack Nicklaus.
TPC at The Canyons, designed by Bobby Weed and Raymond Floyd, now known as TPC Las Vegas.
Karrie Webb wins the LPGA Tour’s Inaugural Tour Championship played at the Desert Inn in Las Vegas.
The Wendy’s 3-Tour Challenge is played in the Las Vegas area for the first of 13-straight times (and counting). The event is played at SouthShore Golf Club at Lake Las Vegas Resort and the PGA Tour team of Fred Couples, Davis Love III, and Payne Stewart wins over the LPGA Tour and Senior PGA Tour.
1997
Butch Harmon, a member of the 2006 Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame, opens the Butch Harmon School of Golf at Rio Secco Golf Club in Henderson. The school becomes the place for the world’s best players to gather and hone their swings. Players who have or still work at the school include: Tiger Woods, Ernie Els, Phil Mickelson, Adam Scott, Natalie Gulbis and many others.
Stephanie Louden, a 2007 inductee into the Southern Nevada Junior Golf Hall of Fame, wins the Women’s Western Amateur.
VegasGolfer Magazine is unveiled to Las Vegas golf fans.
Annika Sorenstam with LPGA Tour’s ITT LPGA Tour Championship
Las Vegas golf course openings
The Lakes at Primm Valley Golf Club, designed by Tom Fazio. A second course comes in 1998.
Rhodes Ranch Golf Club, designed by Ted Robinson.
Rio Secco Golf Club, designed by Rees Jones.
1998
The UNLV men’s golf team—as a group inducted into the Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame in 2002--wins the NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championships, holding on to beat Clemson by three strokes. The Rebels were led by Chris Berry’s 16-under-par effort, good enough for a tie for second individually. UNLV’s tournament-record 1,118 (34-under-par) shattered the previous record of 1,129 set by Arizona. Also on the course for UNLV that week were Bill Lunde, Charley Hoffman, Jeremy Anderson and Scott Lander, and the team was led by legendary coach Dwaine Knight.
Se Ri Pak wins LPGA Tour’s Pagenet Tour Championship in Las Vegas.
Las Vegas golf course openings
Callaway Golf Center, designed by Bob Cupp.
Reflection Bay Golf Club, designed by Jack Nicklaus.
Royal Links Golf Club, designed by Dye Designs International with Perry Dye. Legendary Las Vegas golf course owner Bill Walters opens Royal Links, a themed golf experience that brings to life 18 of the British Open’s historic holes.
1999
The third time was another charm for Jim Furyk as he posted his third Las Vegas PGA Tour victory at the 1999 Las Vegas Invitational. Furyk, who at the time had won just one time outside of Las Vegas, beat Jonathan Kaye by a stroke and pocketed $450.000. He had a five-round total of 331.
Laura Davies wins LPGA Tour’s Pagenet Tour Championship in Las Vegas.
Tiger Woods moves his foundation fundraiser, Tiger Jam, to Las Vegas for the first time. Over the years, such acts as Van Halen, Glenn Frey, Celine Dion, No Doubt, Christina Aguilera, and others have headlined the event that also has golf events at Cascata and Rio Secco Golf Club.
Las Vegas’ Edward Fryatt wins the NIKE Hershey Open.
Las Vegas golf course openings
Anthem Country Club, designed by Keith Foster and Hale Irwin.
The Lexington course at Revere Golf Club opens, designed by Greg Nash and Billy Casper, who later add the Concord course at The Revere.
2000
Former Southern Nevada Junior Golf Association Player of the Year Stephanie Louden plays for United State Curtis Cup team.
Las Vegas’ Bob May goes to a playoff against Tiger Woods at the PGA Championship, giving Tiger one of his most memorable battles.
Las Vegas golf course openings
Bali Hai Golf Club, designed by Lee Schmidt and Brian Curley, opens on the Las Vegas Strip.
Cascata, designed by Rees Jones and a course Sports Illustrated calls “Golf’s Hidden Treasure”.
DragonRidge Country Club, designed by Jay Morrish and David Druzisky.
Siena Golf Club, designed by Lee Schmidt and Brian Curley.
Southern Highlands Golf Club, the final course designed by the duo of Robert Trent Jones, Jr. and Sr. This private course owned by Garry Goett goes on to host Las Vegas’ PGA Tour event and becomes the home course for the UNLV Men’s Golf Team, and their home golf tournament, dubbed the Masters of College Golf.
2001
UNLV hires first-ever Women’s golf coach as program is created.
Las Vegas golf course openings
Bear’s Best Golf Club, designed by Jack Nicklaus.
Silverstone Golf Club, designed by Robert Cupp.
2002
Chris Riley, a 2004 inductee of the Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame, earned his only victory on the PGA Tour at the Reno-Tahoe Open. His two-putt par on a playoff hole was good enough for the victory. For the year, Riley made 23 of 28 cuts, had five top 10s and pocketed more than $2 million. He also had his lowest scoring average of his career, 67.4.
The First Tee of Southern Nevada is formed following a merger of the Southern Nevada Junior Golf Association and the Southern Nevada Inner-City Youth Golf Association.
UNLV Men’s Golf Head Coach Dwaine Knight is inducted into the Golf Coaches Association of America Hall of Fame. In 2004 he is inducted into 2004 Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame.
Former UNLV Golfer Adam Scott wins the Qatar Masters, the first of two that he will win (2008).
The Green Valley Girls High School golf team wins its 129th-straight duel match, setting a United States High School record.
Las Vegas golf courses openings
Durango Hills Golf Course, designed by Lee Schmidt and Brian Curley
The Falls Golf Club at Lake Las Vegas, designed by Tom Weiskopf
2003
Tommy Armour III, elected to the Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame in 2008, sets the all-time PGA Tour scoring record at the Texas Valero Open.
UNLV Women’s Golf wins first-ever tournament under new coach Missy Ringler.
Las Vegas’ Dean Wilson is paired with the LPGA Tour’s Annika Sorenstam at the PGA Tour’s Bank of America Colonial. Wilson gains worldwide recognition for his gentlemanly demeanor during the two rounds, but makes a name for himself in 2006 when he wins the Spring International.
Las Vegas golf course openings
Aliante Golf Club, designed by Gary Panks.
Red Rock Country Club, designed by Arnold Palmer.
Boulder Creek Golf Club, designed by Mark Rathert.
Tuscany Golf Club, designed by Ted Robinson.
2004
UNLV Women’s Golf wins first Mountain West Conference Championship.
Christie Kerr wins LPGA Tour’s Takefuji Classic at Las Vegas.
Andre Stolz wins the PGA Tour’s Michelin Championship at Las Vegas, the year the tournament format is changed to 72 holes.
Former UNLV golfer Adam Scott wins PGA Tour’s PLAYERS Championship
Desert Inn Country Club closes.
Former UNLV Golfers Chad Campbell and Chris Riley play on the United States Ryder Cup team
UNLV Golfer Ryan Moore wins the NCAA individual golf title and the U.S. Amateur.
Las Vegas’ Inbee Park, future US Women’s Open Champ, wins first of two Nevada State High School championships.
2005
Wynn Golf and Country Club opens, designed by Tom Fazio, on the land that was once the Desert Inn golf course.
2006
Las Vegas resident Dean Wilson wins PGA Tour’s International
Former Southern Nevada Golf Association Player of the Year Craig Barlow earns more than $1 million on the PGA Tour, in his 10th season.
Lorena Ochoa wins LPGA Tour’s Takefuji Classic in Las Vegas.
Former UNLV Golfer Adam Scott wins the TOUR Championship.
Las Vegas’ Stephanie Louden serves on executive committee of LPGA Tour.
2007
Las Vegas resident and former UNLV golfer Charley Hoffman wins PGA Tour’s Bob
Hope Chrysler Classic.
New World Series of Golf event debuts, bringing together two Las Vegas staples, Texas Hold ‘em Poker and golf. Mark Ewing is declared the world champion.
Justin Timberlake and The Shriners take over as host and sponsor of Las Vegas’ PGA Tour event.
Las Vegas resident Natalie Gulbis wins the Evian Masters in France.
2008
Inbee Park, a Las Vegas resident who won several Nevada State high school championships, wins the U.S. Women’s Open.
The Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame induction ceremony is held during the week of the PGA Tour’s Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.
Las Vegas’ Scott Piercy wins two Nationwide Tour events to qualify for the PGA Tour, and Las Vegas’ Bill Lunde wins one, and also qualifies for the PGA Tour.
Las Vegas golf course owner Bill Walters wins the Pro-Am portion of the PGA Tour’s Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.
Former UNLV Lady Golfer Sunny Oh wins LPGA Duramed Futures Tour Bright House Networks Open.
The Chase Golf Club at PGA Golf Club Coyote Springs opens, designed by Jack Nicklaus.
2009
Las Vegas resident Nick Watney wins PGA Tour’s Buick Invitational
Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame museum exhibit opens
About two dozen LPGA Tour, Nationwide Tour, PGA Tour, and Champions Tour players either live in Las Vegas or have deep ties to the city’s golf courses.
Las Vegas’ Natalie Gulbis appears on NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice with Donald Trump.
New Las Vegas resident Alex Prugh wins Nationwide Tour’s Michael Hill New Zealand Open.
Former UNLV All-American Chad Campbell outscores Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, but loses The Masters in a sudden death playoff to eventual champ Angel Cabrera. Campbell, Cabrera, and Kenny Perry ended regulation tied at 12-under par, but in round one Campbell became the first golfer in the history of The Masters to birdie the first five holes of the tournament.
2010
New Las Vegas resident Rickie Fowler captures attention of golf world by qualifying for PGA Tour in first year as pro. He moved to Las Vegas in late 2009.
Las Vegas resident Nick Watney fires final-round 65 to finish tied for 5th at The Masters
Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame member Brady Exber teams with Las Vegas resident Kevin Marsh to earn second-straight Champions Cup Invitational at Jack Burke, Jr's Champions Club in Houston.
